Can you survive smallpox

However, once the incubation period or virus development phase was over, the following flu-like symptoms occurred:. These symptoms would go away within two to three days. Then the patient would feel better. However, just as the patient started to feel better, a rash would appear. The rash started on the face and then spread to the hands, forearms, and the main part of the body. The person would be highly contagious until the rash disappeared.

Within two days of appearance, the rash would develop into abscesses that filled with fluid and pus. The abscesses would break open and scab over. The scabs would eventually fall off, leaving pit mark scars. Until the scabs fell off, the person remained contagious. There were two common and two rare forms of smallpox. The two common forms were known as variola minor and variola major.

Variola minor was a less fatal type of smallpox. However, it was less common than variola major. The CDC estimates that 90 percent of smallpox cases were variola major. Historically, this type of smallpox killed 30 percent of those infected. By the fourth day, the skin sores fill with a thick, opaque fluid and often have a dent in the center. Once the skin sores fill with fluid, the fever may rise again and remain high until scabs form over the bumps. The sores become pustules sharply raised, usually round and firm to the touch, like peas under the skin.

Four weeks after the rash appears, all scabs should have fallen off. Once all scabs have fallen off, the person is no longer contagious. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Signs and Symptoms Minus Related Pages. Open All Close All. Incubation Period. This stage can last anywhere from 7 to 19 days although the average length is 10 to 14 days. Initial Symptoms. Immunity or partial immunity after a smallpox vaccine may last up to 10 years, and 20 years with revaccination.

If an outbreak ever occurred, people who were vaccinated as children would still likely receive a new vaccination after direct exposure to someone with the virus. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Smallpox is a contagious, disfiguring and often deadly disease that has affected humans for thousands of years.

Smallpox Open pop-up dialog box Close. Smallpox These are smallpox lesions on the skin of the trunk. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Friedman HM, et al. The epidemiology, pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of smallpox. Accessed Feb. Smallpox vaccine: Drug information. Smallpox vaccine: Patient drug information. Hall JB, et al. Biological warfare. In: Principles of Critical Care. New York, N.